Should I stick with stock tyres?

[alka5eltzer]

Hi.... Decided to give cycling a go and got myself a cheap hybrid bike from Argos - commuting the 3miles round trip to work and also some weekend trips... Last Saturday I did a 20mile trip.. All went well.

My 26" hybrid stock tyres are these:
http://www.lake-sea.com/cp/html/?627.html

I don't find them to bad (but I've no experience lol)... But a couple friends of mine reckon they have loads of rolling resistance and I'd be best getting better ones?
They recommend these as a good investment: http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/...egoryId=242553&productId=176159&storeId=10001

I dont have a clue myself lol. Will this make much difference to me?

 

[Turbo Rider]

Depends what you're cycling for. If it's a commute, I'd say buy the new tyres but don't put them on until the ones you have start wearing out, cracking or you start getting punctures. Use them until they can't be used anymore.

 

[alka5eltzer]

Just thought I'd add... I've them inflated to 65psi (as stated on tyre side wall). Also.. They do make noise? (Friend said its loud which isn't good lol)

 

[mr messy]

As above
Cityjets good for the money but why not wear out the ones you've already paid for first. Unless they are really rubbish with no grip and flat at drop of a hat

 

[T4tomo]

The stock ones arent too bad, they at least have a solid central band to run on, so resistance won't be too bad, they look quiet heavy though. The city jets will roll better and will be lighter and aren't that expensive either so if you fancy going a bit faster easier then by all means go for them

 

[andyfraser]

I always replace the stock tyres with something better and keep the stock tyres as spares. I have 2 sets of Kenda tyres (1 x 23mm, 1 x 25mm) and a set of Continental something-or-others (32mm) that have done no more than 50 miles each. If something goes wrong with a main tyre I have a fall back until I can get a new set.

 

[mr messy]

Worth noting City Jets are essentially a slick tyre and not ideal for off tarmac riding

 

[S.Giles]

Don't concern yourself about tyre weight - it's irrelevant to you. Puncture resistance is more of a concern, but why not see if the ones you already have are reliable before changing them? Since the tyres aren't the knobbly off-road type, they will roll along just fine.

The last set of City Jets I bought soon started to fall to bits, and Schwalbe weren't interested in helping me or finding out why. The set before that were great (I still have them, in fact).

 

[slowmotion]

Stick with the stock ones for the moment, and get some value out of them. Then buy some slightly better ones and see how you get along with them. Bike tyres are an utter rip-off compared to car tyres. How many kilos of rubber are there in a bike tyre compared to a car tyre?

 

[Yellow Saddle]

Next time you see those friends, ask them to give you a quantative indication of how much more rolling resistance your stock tyres have over the ones they recommend and what units of measure the figure is quoted in. You'll soon realize that they have no clue what they're talking about and just bandy about terms and acronyms they read in bike magazines and in Popular Mechanics. Stop fussing about your tyres, go for a ride and have a nice beer after your next 20-mile ride.

 

[lee1980sim]

The question is, why shouldn't you stick with the stock tyres? What is definitely wrong with them that stops you riding your bike, unless they're utterly crap why spend on stuff that's not required

 

[alka5eltzer]

Hi all.. thanks for your help on this... much appreciated.
I'm just gonna keep in the stock ones till they fall apart

 

[Nigelnaturist]

I did 2-3,000 miles on my original Kenda tyres without too many issues, learnt a lot since then, preferring puncture resistance to lower rolling resistance, but I am fast enough and the front has done 11,000 miles without a puncture, I wonder how much time that has saved me in nearly two years.

 

[Berties]

I've had 3 punctures on a ride with stock kendas,I've had a giant stock haemorrhage after a flint attack on a first week,i replace all my tyre with conti gators,again thats my choice, and I've had a puncture on the first day with them,and then not one all winter ,you pay your money you take your chances,rolling resistance ?ive changed some 23s to a 25s and i feel they roll better,minimalists will say they are heavier,its what suits you and your rides ,personal experience to preference will come with the more miles you do

 

[Yellow Saddle]

I've had 3 punctures on a ride with stock kendas,I've had a giant stock haemorrhage after a flint attack on a first week,i replace all my tyre with conti gators,again thats my choice, and I've had a puncture on the first day with them,and then not one all winter ,you pay your money you take your chances,rolling resistance ?ive changed some 23s to a 25s and i feel they roll better,minimalists will say they are heavier,its what suits you and your rides ,personal experience to preference will come with the more miles you do

I doubt you can feel it. The resistance is measured in grams and from best to worse is a couple of grams. If you turn your head sideways at 10kph there is more of a change in resistance. Various tyres give different acoustic feedback and most people associated a higher pitched tone as less resistance, although it isn't necessarily so.